Fifty Seventh: Part One
by Sampug394
Summary: Year 57 of Panem's Hunger Games - The reaping brings together two tributes from two industrial districts, and an unlikely alliance forms between the teens, bringing them closer together than either imagined after promising to help each other stay alive in the games. But with death inevitable in the arena, only time remains until a tragic undoing will befall them both...
1. Chapter 1

_Dear reader:_

_Thank you for taking the time to venture upon Part 1 of this twisted tale, and I hope you enjoy many, many months of work! This story is a personal fan interpretation of a year of Panem's Hunger Games that, after thorough research, has not been mentioned in any part of the trilogy of books. As such, there are creative liberties taken, and I beg you to bear with me on some aspects of the story that may not perfectly reflect the universe, and in some occasions, pull from both the books and the movies in a unique blend. (I try my hardest as a loyal fan, you know!) I am not the amazing Suzanne Collins, I do not know every in and out of the universe, and I do not own at least 90% of the story's universe. Two of the main characters are based, names included, off of a completely different fandom and literary/television universe, and if you recognize/visualize them in the story, you are blessed with sharing a love of two of my favorite things ever! (Since it is only two people and no mention of another universe, this doesn't really qualify as a crossover.)_

_This story series, while humorous in certain parts, is not for the faint of heart. You should understand that death is a major aspect of the Hunger Games, and is often described with plenty of detail. Read at your own comfort, and, if you can, enjoy!_

_~Sampug394_

* * *

The first day by train passed in a head-spinning blur.

A blonde boy, seventeen years old, sat alone on a plush seat inside one of the passenger cars. His head sat, pressed against a glass window as his brown eyes took in the passing landscape.

Hundreds of miles away and still moving, home was a distant memory as the sleek, polished machine coasted effortlessly down the track, across towering viaducts, through forest and plain, and underneath mountains on its high speed journey.

Only an hour ago, everything changed, and despite initial appearances, it was certainly not a good thing. The boy had a free ticket to ride, sampling food and drink he never knew to exist, and views of far lands he had only seen glimpses of on television. A bizarre feeling of royalty. A celebrity treatment, perhaps, alien to everything he knew and understood about his life.

After seventeen years, as a lowly peasant of District 8, he was now a tribute being delivered to the Capitol's custody.

Moments after boarding the train, a strange new world met his eyes, followed by strange new people. Capitol people. One of District 8's few victors and mentors, the district representative, and other servants and employees on the train with strange accents and appearances. All around them, the excessive nature of the Capitol was visible in every part of the train, inside and out. The simplest of things, whether sitting upon the dining table or a part of the interior decor, were crafted of the finest materials, most of which he had never before seen or even heard of.

Because of this, it didn't take long to wonder why none of the wealth so glaringly present, ever made it back to his industrial home of District 8.

A breath slowly left his lungs, remembering what awaited him in the future.

_A fight to the death... That results in a guaranteed death._

_The Hunger Games._

_The spectacular event where everybody in the districts watches as their kids kill and get killed, with huge parties and celebrations and fanfare in the Capitol..._

_And quiet mourning, sadness, and anger everywhere else._

_Half a century ago, everybody tried to kill everybody in a war. Now, we, the lesser people, still pay for it, still suffer, and still die. From starvation, sickness, accidents, and from the Games._

_We live on, sending tributes every year, hoping the odds are in their favor. Hoping they survive, win, and come home._

_Hoping. Even when it seems so pointless._

His eyes slowly, sadly shut.

_I sure hope I can win..._

* * *

The sun slowly sank in the sky as the train burst out of a tunnel, speeding across a gigantic dam with water endlessly spilling over it from the reservoir behind.

Just beyond, was the skyline of the Capitol itself.

A swooping curve led into a tunnel, and a few moments later of watching the rock walls just outside the window, his eyes suddenly took in bright lights, and hundreds of people.

_More weird looking people, screaming and shouting at us..._

The other tribute, a blonde girl his age, timidly peeked out of the window as the train slowed steadily to a halt in the station.

Like him, she was trying to figure out if the massive commotion was hysteria, or a warm welcome.

Both of them looked back as their mentor stepped up from behind, putting his hands on their shoulders, and looked towards the end of the coach.

Within moments, the teens stepped cautiously out of a doorway, and the noise increased dramatically all around them as their entourage of staff ushered them out, leading them along the station platform amongst the crowd.

_We're sad, heartbroken teenagers from District 8... And all these people are excited and cheering and jumping up and down and going crazy._

_Only in the Capitol, I guess..._

* * *

_Ouch._

The blonde lay still, his body feeling quite raw as he eyed the ceiling above.

Years of grime that the washtub at home couldn't dispose of, were erased in an a few hours worth of scrubbing in the so-called 'Remake Center.' Hair everywhere was cut, plucked, ripped off, and groomed, and a million other little details were worked on by an assortment of 'stylists', that looked absolutely ridiculous.

_And I thought the Citizens outside are as weird as it gets... These people are insane!_

Another one of the stylists approached, and he rolled his eyes.

_Yep. Still something on me that needs fixing..._

* * *

_...And I thought this couldn't get worse._

The blonde eyed the sleeves of a particularly colorful, strange suit outfit, made of several types of material, as he walked amongst a cluster of people towards an awaiting chariot.

_District 8. We make clothing. I personally dyed clothing._

_I could have done better than this, any day of the work week. What kind of idiot thinks a rainbow patchwork of material just..._

His eyes rose, to a startlingly lovely red-haired girl leaning back against her chariot, and his thoughts briefly stopped as his feet slowed.

Dressed in an equally strange, silvery blue outfit, she looked on, visibly unimpressed with arms crossed.

Vanishing from sight seconds later, he blinked, looking at the floor below.

_Red, red hair... And green eyes?_

_Who is this girl?_

Led up onto the chariot, he looked around, getting glimpses of the other tributes around him as the blonde girl standing beside him tugged on a sleeve briefly.

_Panem's newest victims... Looking ridiculous, as usual._

His eyes hovered upon other tributes individually, and it was easy to tell the formidable from the weak within seconds.

_Careers... And a few others that get fed better than us._

_Yep. I'm gonna die soon. Look at these people._

_District 8 is screwed._

In a cloud of confusion, the chariot began to move forward, in line with the eleven others. Advice was shouted to them, but was drowned out amongst the hoof-beats and the steadily rising roar of excitement only seconds away outside. The blonde looked vainly for the red-haired girl he had seen only minutes earlier, but she had already vanished.

Gripping the chariot, he watched as the roof and walls disappeared, replaced by a colorful, massive crowd of people making more noise than he could believe, lining the grand stands along the avenue as the teams of horses and people were brought forward through the public for the first time.

_Down in the depths of the Capitol... Looking like a complete moron._

_And everybody loves it._

* * *

A few needlessly long minutes later, watching thousands of energetic people scream and cheer around him, the twelve chariots began to halt in front of the enormous mansion that belonged to President Snow himself, and tributes began to quietly eye each other again.

And then, his eyes fell upon the girl again, and his heart sighed.

_There she is... From District 3._

He continued to stare.

_A girl that pretty, from 3?_

His heart beat with worry.

_Poor girl... You shouldn't be here in the Capitol. Shouldn't have even been reaped._

She stood, still unimpressed. Defiantly facing a grim future only one week away as the President's words echoed around them.

_One week, and then the world loses one awfully pretty girl..._

With only a few glances, he found himself mesmerized by her, even with her fanciful costume. Everything about her appearance seemed out of place from where she came from.

_Oh, District 3... Why did you have to send someone like her?_

The crowd exploded into cheering, and the chariots and horses lurched forward.

He watched as teams separated, and within moments, lost sight of the girl only moments afterward as he and the blonde girl were escorted into the elevator of the training center.

* * *

Following the parade, the tributes were subject to yet another whirlwind as they were whisked to a lavish dinner, meeting and greeting more unfamiliar people as they dined on a needlessly extravagant variety of unfamiliar food. Both blondes feasted on the rich delicacies until it wasn't possible to stretch a formerly starving stomach any further.

The blonde sighed, walking with slight discomfort alongside the blonde girl towards the elevator.

_I think I'm going to explode. Dessert was a mistake..._

He watched as the door opened to their floor, and the mood instantly changed as they wandered into their apartment, and then their own rooms, eying the bizarre interior decor all around.

_I need to stop being so surprised... And just accept that the Capitol is pretty damn weird._

He sighed, looking out of a nearby window at the night sky outside.

_Kinda hard to accept that I'm about to die, though..._

* * *

**Hours later...**

Odd's eyes pored over the interior of his new bedroom as he stood in the following silence.

_One single room... Is almost bigger than our entire apartment back home._

He cautiously walked towards the bathroom, but then turned, and stepped up beside the bed.

Running his fingers along the top, he frowned.

_What kind of fur is this...?_

His fingers grasped the material, pulling it upward briefly.

_Nothing the factories at home ever worked with..._

His eyes rose, peering out of the window at countless lights and grand buildings soaring with height and finesse amongst the dark of night... Something the dark, dirty, industrial factories and chimneys at home could never quite match.

The Capitol, a beautiful, shining city wreathed in the former Rocky Mountains, was a completely different world from District 8.

_District 8... Barely even said goodbye before being brought here._

A hard sigh escaped his throat as his fingers released the comforter.

_To think I cried my eyes out too... Takes a lot to make a someone cry these days. We're all so used to people dying and all the misery is just normal. You just wake up the next day, go to work, and then come home and sleep._

_But today, I didn't go to work. I was reaped, and taken away very quickly. Had minutes to say goodbye to mom and dad and all my sisters, and then I was gone._

_What a nightmare... For everyone. My family gets to wake up tomorrow and remember that I'm long gone. And there's nothing they can -_

He jumped when the door nearby opened, and one of the mysteriously silent servants appeared by his side with a dish, and a cup of hot chocolate. He lifted both from her hands, and with a respectful nod, the servant turned, and disappeared.

He stared down at the brown swirl inside the mug, and then drank a small gulp.

Tears then graced his eyes.

_...Nothing they can do._

His lips trembled momentarily, and he set the mug and dish aside on the nightstand next to the bed. His hands covered his eyes, and the night drifted by in silent misery as he sat on the bed.

_...Cause I'm already dead._


	2. Chapter 2

**Next morning...**

Crawling out of bed, and staring at the sunlight streaming in through the window, Aelita tiptoed into the bathroom, and looked up at herself in the mirror.

The girl staring back was a product of the Capitol's stylists, magically changing her from a tired, broken teenage girl into a majestic young woman.

_But nothing can hide the scars of the past..._

Orphaned from an industrial accident years before, and left to her own devices in District 3, she wound up as an underage electrical technician, slaving away among a mostly adult workforce to earn each day's meager pay.

_Just so I could survive._

She climbed up and sat on the sink's counter top, and ran her hand up into her hair, letting it flow between her fingers. Of a light red color, it shined happily as it fell, free of imperfection and softer to the touch than she thought possible.

_Barely five years ago, Schaeffer was a common name thanks to my dad's position as District three's industrial production oversight. General governing authority meant better pay. And better pay meant a home with a small plot of land. Call us one of the few well to do, in three._

_But that's all gone now. Mom and dad are gone, and the estate..._

_My old home... Probably gone after my eviction..._

She reached down, touched the left side of the faucet, and a stream of water flowed out, greeting her fingers, and then her eyes. After a pause, it shut back off, and she slipped off the counter after another glance at the girl in the mirror, staring back with a soft, glowing complexion.

_And just my luck, having my life already fucked over, I get reaped for the Games. Sentenced to televised gladiatorial death._

_Almost better than wasting my life away alone, I suppose..._

A knock on the door, and she peeked around the wall.

"Yes?"

"Breakfast is in ten minutes."

The gruff female voice of her mentor greeted her ears again, and she took in a deep breath.

"I'll be there."

* * *

**Underground Training Center, Day one.**

Odd walked down the last of several hallways, his mentor and fellow tribute by his side. Sporting an athletic outfit, and a much better attitude from an emotional breakdown the night before, he was ready to face the first day of training - The first out of seven.

Their mentor, a shorter, stocky, tan skinned man with elaborate dark purple tattoos covering most of his arms, stepped in front and opened the door into the training room hallway.

"Alright you two. Try and absorb as much as you can. The more you know how to do, the longer you'll survive."

He paused, glanced inside, and then looked at the blonde teens.

"Based on your home life, you two need to practice with weapons as much as possible... Odd, you dyed clothing back home, so work on painting camouflage as well. Sandra... Work on trap setting and fashioning anything with a sharp tip."

Both of them nodded, and were then ushered inside.

_Camouflage... I can paint things, but I'm no expert. Not like dad._

Odd exhaled as he and Sandra approached the small crowd ahead, but as they got closer, he looked around uncomfortably as they were scrutinized by the rest of the tributes.

Two more pairs walked up, and a young black woman standing before all of them cleared her throat.

"In a few days, twenty three of you will be dead."

Several people traded glances, both fearful and sinister.

_Thanks for the reminder, lady._

"...But one of you will be alive. Who that is, depends on your determination to survive, but also on your survival skills."

She eyed all of the tributes in a sweeping glance, and continued.

"While you all may want to grab a knife or sword right away, keep in mind the danger of ignoring yourself. Another tribute may not kill you, but things like dehydration and infection certainly will. Don't avoid trying something new just because you've never done it before... It just might save your life in the arena."

* * *

After several initial exercises, all twenty four tributes were released to train on their own, dispersing and headed towards the various elements of the center.

Odd's heart skipped a beat when he spotted the girl from District 3 again in the distance, and he suddenly diverted away and found his way into a line next to the one she stood in. Trying to keep a low profile, he silently watched her, hoping she would notice him.

A moment later, he was shoved forward in line.

_Who in the..._

He spun around, only to be facing a brunette girl with her arms crossed, clearly unimpressed with him.

"Don't hold up the line, moron."

His eyes lowered to a small tag with 'District 2' printed onto it.

"Sorry." He muttered, backing up and turning around.

He then froze when she moved her head right next to his.

"District 8 huh? Slow, easily distracted, and weak... Killing you will be easy."

His face grew dark from the comment.

"...Says the judgmental, arrogant career." He whispered back, just before stepping up onto the platform for hand-to-hand combat.

Moving up in front of the man standing ready, and now with a temper brewing, Odd stared at the assistant, and a flood of memories filtered through his head, remembering sparring sessions with his dad for self defense in their urban environment.

_That's it... Punch, block... Block again. Left. Nope. Right. Jab. Block..._

Within moments, the blonde quickly rediscovered his rhythm and kicked into gear, challenging the assistant and moving faster and faster.

Seconds later, the practice was quickly escalating into a full blown sparring match, with punches, jabs, and blocks being thrown and put up at increasingly fast speeds as their feet kept moving.

_This guy's impressed. Sure has a funny expression right nnnnnope. Blocked you._

Both the gamemakers up on the balcony nearby, and other tributes began to stop and watch as officials and a few peacekeepers cautiously approached the ensuing brawl.

Not quite intending to start training off in a fight, Odd found the assistant to be a worthy opponent, and both of them cautiously jockeyed to gain an upper hand over each other.

In a sudden move, Odd clutched the arm of the man as he threw a punch, twisted and ducked down, and swung him completely over his backside, slamming him into the floor on the opposite side.

A referee whistle pierced the air, and he backed away, exhaling, and then taking a quick glance at the people staring at him with various looks.

_Annddd everybody's staring. Way to go._

He noticed Aelita watching him carefully, and a smile followed an exhale, causing her to squint at him as he casually stepped off the platform, and walked over to another station.

Several people, particularly career tributes, exchanged glances and words, and Aelita stepped out of the line for sword fighting, going instead towards the fire starting station, but plucking a steel hatchet off a stand on the way.

_Alright, boy. Two can play at this game._

She stepped up to the empty little plot of grass, and then looked at the lady who eyed the hatchet in her hand.

"Do you have a battery and some wire?"

She blinked, but then nodded, and dug around in a box, procuring both, and giving them to her.

"I don't think you're going to find these very easily out in the arena, but here you go."

Aelita smiled, and then knelt down onto the grass, setting the hatchet and battery down, and quickly fashioning two short lengths of wire. Wrapping them around the terminals, she then touched the wires to the steel blade of the hatchet, and waited patiently.

After a minute or so, the steel blade became very hot, and the rubber grip began to smolder from the short circuit the powerful battery was creating.

She quickly pulled the wires away, picked it up, and watched with a smile as a small wisp of smoke drifted from it, admiring her handiwork before standing up and walking away. The woman at the station, perplexed, watched as tributes stood clear as Aelita went past, alarmed to see the small axe in her hand was leaving behind a trail of smoke.

She found her way to the target range for knives, and stood in position, staring at one of the target dummies that sat in the distance.

Taking one step back, she loftily twirled the hatchet around in her hand a few times, and then with a grunt, flung it forward at high velocity.

Hardly a second later, the hatchet's superheated blade lodged into the dummy's chest with enough force to knock the stand completely over, and a small sizzle was heard as the material inside was cauterized by the hot metal.

A smile spread across her face, and she dusted her hands off for a moment before walking away.

Enjoying the same looks of fear and hatred that Odd received minutes earlier, her eyes then fell upon the blonde in the distance, who was watching her with a content look.

They both then traded a momentary, identical thought, directed at the other.

_Showoff._


	3. Chapter 3

A few hours later, the twenty four tributes were busy, and the training session was in full swing. Odd was practicing with swords, and Aelita was getting a feel for setting rudimentary snares.

During the lesson, she watched the boy carefully in the distance, trying to figure out why he kept an eye on her so much, when he should be working with the girl from his district. As far as she could tell, he seemed to be sizing her up, trying to figure out what it would take to kill her. But on the same token, while others stared and smirked, he simply smiled when he noticed she was looking.

She finished setting up one of the traps, tested it, and then grew bored, disassembling it hastily when she saw Odd was putting his sword aside and leaving the station.

_Alright, you..._

She sucked in a quick breath and briskly walked over towards him, slowing to a halt as he turned, and watched her.

"Hello."

"Yeah, Hi..."

She opened her mouth, but found herself with no words, only to close it again.

_Ah shit._

A brief staring contest started, and ended in seconds, and Odd tilted his head.

She looked around him, and then huffed.

"I... Was actually going to this station right here."

He cracked into a grin.

"Oh really."

"Yes, really." She spoke, brushing past him, and stepping up onto another platform, and trying as quickly as possible to busy herself with... Edible plants.

_Ugh._

She shivered, a flustered blush on her cheeks, but after a while, successfully kept herself occupied - Until she stole a glance, and a heartbeat later, watched as he did the same. The glance intensified into an unsettling stare, and Aelita slammed her fist onto the table and stormed off the platform, leaving behind another perplexed training assistant.

Odd stood his ground as she approached, but was taken by surprise when she grabbed the front collar of his training shirt, catching him slightly off guard.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" She growled.

"I..."

Before he could speak, a pair of peacekeepers clutched Aelita's arms and jerked her away.

"Cool it."

She was released, and after an exhaled breath, took a step forward and looked at the blonde boy, expecting an answer.

He took a cautious step closer, and sighed.

"Okay. Honestly... I was kinda admiring you. But I was actually hoping to form an alliance..."

A subtle laugh escaped her mouth, and she crossed her arms.

"Oh ho, so you like me, and want to be my ally... You're not even from my district."

"No, but we'd both stand a better chance of surviving if we teamed up."

"...Right, until we're the last two or something. What happens then?"

His eyes lowered.

"Hopefully it doesn't end up like that..."

She huffed.

"Look. If you're trying to somehow save me from all this... There's not much for me to go home to."

He shut his eyes, disappointed.

"Never mind... I guess I just wanted to help the most beautiful girl I've ever seen get out safe instead of being ruthlessly killed."

He walked past, and Aelita furrowed her eyebrows, before turning around.

_And of course he says something like this..._

"You'd just get yourself killed trying to do that!"

He turned and paused.

"I know."

* * *

**Evening, Day 1.**

Aelita lay in bed, wide awake.

_That blonde boy is nuts._

_I have no family to go home to. Nothing. And this kid comes out of nowhere, admires me, and..._

_Well, he wants to be my ally._

_So what? I'm just some stupid teenage girl running around with no parents. Just like a stray dog. I'm nothing to anyone. What's the use? What good would I be? I'll probably be dead within the first hour..._

She sighed, her heart aching, and eyes drooping, but sleep refused to come.

_I'll be dead. Especially if I can't sleep..._

Rolling over and twisting in the sheets, she spotted the curved remote sitting on the nightstand, and daintily drug it off, setting it onto the side of her stomach.

With a momentary tap and swirl of her finger, the television on the window activated and cycled through several channels, before settling on a scene of rolling, undulating hills and an endless carpet of light green grass, swaying and rippling like waves of a lake from the gentle breeze blowing across the land.

_Serene, and nothing like District 3._

She set the remote aside, stretched her legs, and watched the screen, listening to the low howl of wind and distant chirps of birds. A melody of nature in her ears that she rarely experienced back home.

_Back home..._

_Not likely._


	4. Chapter 4

**Training Center, Day two.**

Aelita brushed a tuft of hair aside from her face, and jumped up, clutching two of the rings suspended in the air. She moved her legs back and forth, and after a few swings to gain momentum, she reached forward, grasped the next ring, and quickly began a pattern, grabbing one ring after the other at an alarmingly swift pace.

Suddenly, her fingers miscalculated and fell low of one, and she found herself swinging backwards holding nothing, held up by one hand. She grimaced and her hand shot up, clutching the same ring she was on, and in desperation, she swung her foot out and caught it in the last one just beyond.

With a grunt, she lifted her other leg, carefully brought the middle ring closer with her knee, and in a sudden exhale, grabbed it, released her foot and swung back, moving forward a second later and barely getting hold of the last ring before letting go again, and landing onto the elevated platform on the other side.

Wasting no time, she quickly descended the stairs, heading for a different station that wouldn't push her luck like the acrobatic nightmare she just experienced.

* * *

Spotting Odd sitting in the distance at the camouflage station, Aelita paused.

_...He's painting his face._

With a momentary look around, she rolled her eyes in self-defeat, and walked towards him as casually as she could.

Odd, seeing wavy red hair bobbing, and then the girl herself in the mirror walking up behind him, produced a faint smile. Once she quietly stepped up beside him, he resumed applying small dabs of paint to his face, his smile increasing from her expression.

A normally pale face, was covered in yellows and greens of a grassy field.

"...What's your secret." She whispered, a small smile forcing itself through when he held up a card with a photograph of the same sort of grass next to his face.

"Back home I dyed clothing... Plenty of paint and colors to work with, and when there's free time, I painted pictures of nature... Things I can only imagine or see on television."

She sat down next to him, and breathed a sigh.

"I... Was thinking about yesterday."

Odd slowly resumed painting, but she could tell he was still listening.

"...And how selfish I am and how I should be pretty glad that someone wants to be my ally."

She paused, and took a quick look at the rest of the tributes throughout the training facility.

"Now that I'm seeing what the careers and some of these other crazy people can do, I'm pretty sure I won't last an hour on my own, by myself."

He peeked at her, his smile hidden amongst the grass.

"I still don't get why you're so willing to sacrifice yourself for my survival, But if you want to be my ally..."

She held out her hand, and he looked down at it, before looking back up at her.

"...I accept it, and want to be yours."

After a pause, he turned in the seat and faced her, scrutinizing her offer.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

His smile blossomed into a grin, and he firmly shook her hand.

"Glad to hear it."

A blush briefly touched her cheeks, and he pushed a paintbrush and several jars of paint over in front of her.

"Know how to paint?"

"Not really.."

He touched his hand to his chin, smudging some of the grass.

"Right. From what I've learned... Camouflage is not that much different... Not that hard either. It's all just blending in with the environment."

She looked up at the messy locks of light red hair resting on her forehead, and then at the blonde.

"So... How in the world would I blend in to anything with all this?"

"Leaves, Sticks... Mud."

Her eyebrow rose, and he countered it.

"You're not trying to stay pretty. You want to stay alive, and the best way to do that, besides killing, is to blend in with the arena."

She picked up the paintbrush, and looked at her arm with curiosity.

"...Unless, you'd rather stand out as a vicious monster to be feared."

She blushed in a quiet laugh, and dabbed the brush into a jar.

"I'll leave that to the careers..."

Odd watched with approval as she began to apply strokes of tan and yellow paint onto her forearm.

"I dunno... That whole thing yesterday with the heated axe was kinda scary. What's your secret?"

She eyed the blonde as he started to apply small lines of light green paint to her arm as well.

"I liked to cut firewood with my dad when I lived on the estate... The hatchet though, that's just the old trick of heating metal with an electric short."

"...Did cutting firewood require throwing a hatchet like that?"

"No, but it was fun to practice and mess around. There was this one solid, dead tree on the property that I liked to use as a target."

Odd reached back, getting another small dab of green.

"...You live on an estate?"

"Used to."

"What happened?"

She turned her head to the side for a moment.

"My parents died."

His eyes slowly rose from her arm, to her face.

"Oh."

"When I said I had nothing to go back home to... I meant it."

He breathed a heavy sigh, and she held her head up with her other arm as he kept painting.

"What about you?"

He drug his finger momentarily, spreading a small smudge into a line.

"I was afraid you'd ask."

"...Why?"

He twirled the brush around in his fingers.

"After the reaping, I left behind my mom, dad, and all four of my sisters."

A lump formed in Aelita's throat, and her mouth opened in disbelief.

"...And you'd rather have me live? You at least have a family!"

He swallowed.

"Yes, but, what happens when we both end up dead, and nobody goes home?"

Her eyes sank.

"Aelita, if we can help each other survive to the end, there's a chance one of us might just win this time. Districts 1 and 2 are almost always crowned, and everybody else is just left to cry and mourn the ones they lost."

"But then your family, and everybody in 8 will mourn your death."

"Happens every year, doesn't it? Just different people each time."

"Yeah."

Odd set the paintbrush aside, and both sat in the following silence, inspecting the field of yellow grass that magically appeared on her arm.

She looked up at him when he nodded.

"Teamwork."

* * *

**A few hours later...**

"Punch me."

"You sure?"

A cheeky smile spread across his lips.

"Positive."

Aelita rolled her eyes, but wound up, and swung a fist at him - Which was blocked with ease by his arm.

_How did y-_

"The second most important thing, besides knowing how to throw a punch, is how to block one."

She swung at him again, and just as easily, he deflected it.

"You see how my arms are? Raised up, fists closed, ready to deflect a blow... You try."

She held her arms in position, and he nodded.

"Don't just hold them still though. Be fluid, ready to move anywhere."

She relaxed slightly, and watched as he pointed at her.

"I'm going to throw a slow punch. Try to block it."

He pushed his fist through the air, and she deflected it easily.

"Good. Try again."

A faster punch in a different direction, but she still pushed it away.

"Better... I see one problem though."

She blinked.

"Not fast enough?"

"Nooo... I'll show you. One more time."

Arms ready, Odd swung a faster fist to the right - She moved, blocked it, but he suddenly stepped forward and swung his foot up, stopping it in front of her stomach.

"That's the problem. If we were fighting, that kick would have knocked you flat on your back... Block with one arm, but don't leave the other hanging. Protect yourself with it."

"How would I stop a kick with my arm?"

"It's possible... And if you see it coming you can move fast enough to avoid it, or just deflect it."

With a cautious smile, she pushed his foot away, and he hopped back, just in time for another screech of the referee whistle to pierce the air, signaling the end of the training session.

"Hey... Tomorrow, lets get some more practice in after lunch."

She nodded, and they both split up, finding their way to the exit and carefully avoiding the cluster of career tributes that were beginning to keep a keen eye on them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Training Center Apartments, floor three.**

"I see you're taking a liking to the boy from eight."

Aelita's chewing slowed to a stop, and the boy sitting next to her paused, before looking at her.

"Yes... He's my ally now."

A few confirming grunts and chuckles from the others at the table went around, and she set her fork down.

"...I'm sorry, I didn't realize that forming an alliance with another tribute was frowned upon."

"What's frowned upon, is ignoring your own teammate during training."

Her mentor, a woman in her fifties with greying hair, kept a firm eye on Aelita as she sat, staring down at the half eaten meal on her plate.

_Except I have my own agenda, you old hag. Lucent here looks like a total moron during training too..._

After an increasingly awkward silence, Aelita shook her head.

_You know what, lady..._

She stood up, pushing the chair back with her legs, and wiped her mouth with a tablecloth, before plucking the tall glass of blue liquid off the table.

"We're both dead no matter what. Nobody here seems to frown upon that."

She walked away, and within moments, slipped inside her bedroom down the hall and shut the door.

_"She sure is a pushy little shit..."_

* * *

Aelita set the glass aside after taking another gulp, and flounced onto the bed, preening her velvety dark green shirt before rolling over onto her back.

Growing bored from the silence, she sat up, grabbed the remote, and tapped the black surface twice before dropping it into her lap. The window to the outside was replaced by the screen as it lit up, and a scene of a fountain somewhere in the Capitol appeared.

With another swirl of her index finger, the screen changed to a live interview of the head gamemaker, by none other than Caesar Flickerman.

She crossed her legs after curling her fingers around the tall glass, and took another sip of the strange, sweet blue liquid as she tuned into the show.

"We're two days into training... Is there anything in particular you've noticed about some of this year's tributes?"

"Several things, actually. A few from the outer districts appear to have tricks up their sleeves... Career tributes are a force to be reckoned with, like usual."

His head then turned from the audience, to Caesar.

"...There also appears to be an alliance forming with 3 and 8."

A momentary rise in the audience was then quieted as Caesar held up his hand.

"Between 3 and 8?"

"The blonde boy and the girl with red hair."

He eyed the gamemaker curiously, leaning back in his chair.

"Just those two?"

"Just them. The only time they are with their fellow district tributes is entering and exiting the facility."

Caesar nodded.

"Three and eight... I don't think there's ever been a time during the games that those two have teamed together. Makes you wonder what the tributes alongside them think about it."

"Makes you wonder what the boy and girl see in each other to make a bold move like that."

Aelita stared at the television screen.

_Of course they broadcast this shit across the Capitol..._

_Sure hope this Lucent moron isn't jealous somehow._

_Not like he'd be a real threat anyway..._

_Or would he?_

She flinched as the door opened, relaxing when she realized it was one of the Avox servants instead. She motioned for him to come closer, and then presented the glass, lifting her hand up alongside it to indicate she wanted it refilled.

A nod later, the Avox vanished, and the door shut.

"...He's not even that big though."

"And yet he still threw a man completely over himself."

"Short but strong... I think I can see why Miss Schaeffer decided to join him after all."

The door opened again, and the Avox stepped in, presenting both the glass, and an entire pitcher full of the blue drink.

With a smile, she move both to the nightstand, and then gently grasped the servant's hand as a silent thank you, before releasing it.

With a prompt departure, and the door's silent closing, Aelita turned back to the television, her smile quickly changing into a calculating glare as she continued listening.

"What I think is interesting, is the rivalry among the tributes from 5."

"I heard it's part of a long-lasting family feud."

"You wouldn't think such an ordeal would even exist in a place like 5, but from the looks of things, those tributes aren't very happy to end up together."

Aelita rolled her eyes, and refilled her glass with the pitcher.

_At least Odd and I aren't the only tributes being hyped over. Can only imagine the kind of trouble that would bring us..._

* * *

Training Center Apartments, floor eight.

Odd shut the television off, and within moments, the lights dimmed, and turned off as well. He rolled over and crawled underneath the sheets, and settled comfortably, watching as lights from the streets outside faintly lit the ceiling.

_Word sure spreads quickly around here... We're sure getting more attention than I like._

_Nothing wrong with a little limelight though, right? At least Aelita's improving... Can't believe she never knew any kind of self defense! I can't even imagine how she's survived in three all this time without tossing a single punch..._

_Oh well. Maybe our sparring will help. Maybe not._

A blush briefly met his cheeks.

_At least she's warming up to me... Sure makes it easier to work with her when she's got a smile on her face._

He sighed.

_She has the prettiest smile too... And that hair... And those green eyes._

He turned onto his opposite side.

_And to think I meet her... Right before we have to fight to the death._

_...Dammit._

* * *

An overcast sky held a blanket of silence over the land.

With the unfolding of a small slip of paper, a collective breath was held across the entirety of District 8.

"Odd... Della Robbia."

The color in the blonde's face vanished as hundreds of faces turned to look at him, and his heart plummeted into his stomach.

_Of all the people to be chosen..._

A small path parted between the crowd as his feet reluctantly moved forward, and as soon as he stepped into the open, several unfortunately familiar screams filled the air, all from his younger sisters, shouting his name in horror.

Footsteps echoed, first from the cobblestones lining the square, and then from the stairs and the stone balcony of the Justice Building.

He stepped up beside a blonde girl he didn't recognize, and was lost in a daze of confusing, twisted despair as he looked out at over a thousand people filling the square.

Witnesses, of District 8's reaping for the 57th Annual Hunger Games.

* * *

Odd jerked awake, blinking in the darkness as he regained his bearings.

_Just a dream... Or perhaps a nightmare._

But at the same time, it was neither. It was a real memory, and it happened only a few days ago.

_What an awful event to relive..._

He moved around in the bed and found a new position.

_Sure hope everyone at home will sleep better than me..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Training Center, day three.**

Aelita craned her head, but the blonde was nowhere in sight within the center. A group walked past, and then, a brunette girl slowed down as she passed Aelita.

"...Waiting for your little playmate?"

She combated the tribute's remark with a scowl, which was met with an eerily content smile before she turned and walked away.

_District 7 huh? Fuck off._

Seconds later, the boy in question appeared next to her, but before he could speak, she grabbed his arm and led him away, out of from earshot of the others.

"Aelita..."

She turned around and faced him.

"I was watching TV last night..."

"...The interview?"

"Yes."

"What about it?"

"I think we're getting too popular."

His eyebrow rose.

"So?"

Aelita huffed.

"We're being watched... By everybody. Gamemakers, tributes..."

"That's not a bad thing."

"Ohhh it certainly is, Odd. People have their eyes on us, plotting how they're going to kill us both."

"...Just because we're allies?"

"Yes. Why not. We're from completely different districts."

Odd breathed an impatient sigh.

"This isn't the first time two districts have allied. Careers do it all the time, every year."

"That's different..." She whispered.

"In any case, Aelita, there's nothing wrong with being popular. How else do you get sponsors?"

She turned, and slowly started walking forward.

"...You make people like you. I know."

* * *

"Tatius, and Aquila. They're from 2."

Aelita nodded.

"Shimmer and Glint are from 1."

For a brief moment, both her and Odd traded humored expressions.

_Such goofy names... Only from the Career districts._

"With you is Lucent, and with me, is Sandra."

"The rest... We'll find out later I guess."

She then peered down when Odd dabbed a paintbrush with green paint, and brushed her upper arm with his index finger for a moment.

"I think there's something missing here."

Her eyebrow rose.

"What?"

A careful smile grew on his lips as he painted a curving green line along her elbow.

"A flower."

Within moments, a small leaf and layers on the stalk appeared, and he then swirled together white and red paint, and began to delicately paint curving pink petals.

Afterwards, a pistil and filaments appeared, and the petals were then accented with streaks of white.

A few touches and minor dabs of paint later, Odd set the brush aside, and set his chin onto the palm of his hand, instantly grinning when Aelita moved her arm, and a blush slightly lighter than the flower appeared on her cheeks as she looked it over.

"Ohh... That's wonderful."

Her eyes flitted up to him.

"Thank you."

"One pink flower, standing out above the rest." He whispered.

"Shhhhh..."

She turned her head, the blush deepening.

A few seconds passed, as did the moment, and Odd sat up.

"We should throw an axe or two."

"...Hatchets." She corrected, before standing up alongside him, regaining her normal composure.

Odd then furrowed his eyebrows as they walked together towards the target range.

"Are you sure you're not secretly from 7? You sure seem like the lumberjack sort..."

A laugh met his statement, as both of them grabbed a pair of hatchets off a nearby rack.

"Just because I've cut firewood, doesn't make me a logger. There's not many trees in three anyway."

"Just about none in eight."

"No green?"

"Just the occasional blade of grass. That's it."


	7. Chapter 7

**Day three.**

Odd, engaged in a slow-speed fistfight, was all smiles. With daily practice, Aelita was swiftly learning how to fight back, and simple afternoon training had turned into regular fight sessions. A good thing too - Training ended in four days.

Aelita blew out a breath as arms and fists clashed, and their feet moved periodically.

"So... Besides... This, and painting on each other... And throwing hatchets... What have you done?"

A sudden dodge later, met by a grimace from Aelita for missing, Odd held his tongue between his lips.

"That silly jumping thing... Gauntlet or whatever... Messed with swords, slingshots and spears... Can't... Shoot a bow worth anything."

Aelita deftly cancelled two speedy punches, pushing a determined breath through her nose.

"Rings... Snares... That plant identification crap the other day... Did throw a few knives, but those are... So... Wonky, compared to an axe."

"Hatchet."

"Whatever."

She shook her head, and the blonde chuckled, only to catch a deceptive fist in his shoulder.

"Sneaky..." He drawled, releasing a breath before noticing eyes were on him, behind Aelita.

She blew a tuft of hair aside from her eyes.

"Spectators?"

"Careers... And our pals from 3 and 8."

_Uh oh._

Odd narrowed his eyes, and took a step back.

"Let's step it up a notch."

She took in and released a great breath, and then stood in position.

_Time to make an impression._

* * *

**Training Center, Observation deck one.**

Cyprianos, the head gamemaker, watched with interest through a small zoomed screen as the two young teens in the far end of the center suddenly stepped up their game, fighting hand-to-hand much faster than the prior days where their activity barely attracted his attention.

Normally, fighting between tributes in the center was never allowed, but in their case, he found the cooperative training interesting. There was also no need to intervene, when their actions would result in their own consequences in the arena anyway.

He set the screen aside and took a sip from a tall, angular glass filled with sparkling green alcohol, and was then handed an open sketchbook with several drawings on it.

The top was labeled 'ARENA 57', and below were several sketched scenes, showing different perspectives of areas of the arena, including the design for a new silver, angular cornucopia.

"That's new." He spoke, tapping the picture.

"We decided it was time to consider a new approach with the Cornucopia. Something modern, different from the old style we've been using all these years."

"But this barely looks like a horn."

"Exactly. It's unique, but everyone will still know its purpose."

After a momentary eyebrow rise, he handed the sketchbook back, and took another sip of the drink.

"Just like the arena."

* * *

_Checkmate._

In a sudden show of force, Aelita deflected one last block and charged into Odd, throwing herself against him and knocking both of them over flat onto the floor, ending the fight.

Her dogged energy transformed back into the quiet, reserved being she was, and a mischievous smile was produced after he assessed the situation, concluded that Aelita was now on top of him, and offered a tired, approving grin.

Then, both of them burst into laughter.

Aelita pushed herself off him and helped him to his feet, and then both of them stood, weary, yet filled with mirth despite their attempt to beat each other into submission. The scene seemed unreal, given the circumstances.

Odd then flexed his arms in and out, and a defeated exhale left his mouth.

"...Let's do something a little calmer now."

* * *

Aelita displayed a trio of rope knots holding a pair of sticks together, and Odd looked down at the elaborate, incomplete knot he was working on, before inspecting her creation.

"That's very knotty of you."

She stuck her tongue out and cheekily pulled his apart, seconds before a whistle pierced the air, and the training day ended.

He looked at the aftermath jumble of string, and sighed.

"I guess the odds were... Knot in its favor anyway."

She giggled, and a slight blush surfaced as she pulled him to his feet. Then, two playful shoves later, they walked together towards the exit of the center, another day over.

* * *

**T.C. Apartments, Floor eight.**

Odd, busily consuming dinner, kept his eyes to the plate in front of him. Each evening became progressively tenser as the days counted down, but after a while, the young blonde could tell his actions in the training center weren't gaining much approval.

"Just heard down the wire that they're planning a few changes with training in next year's games."

"Like what?"

"A couple small details... And a new mandatory rule. Only tributes from the same district can work together in training, and with that, they can only work exclusively with assistants. Not with each other."

Odd barely disguised a swallow with a bite of food, knowing that all eyes at the table were looking at him.

"So, congratulations. You've already made an influence on the future of the games."

His eyes rose, coming in contact with those of his mentor, and both of them stared at the other for a brief moment.

_Congratulations? I couldn't care less!_

Stuck in an awkward conversational corner, his appetite simply vanished. He cleaned his face with a cloth and tossed it down onto a platter of bread, and then pushed the chair roughly into the table.

"Right. Assuming I end up surviving, what makes you, or anybody else, think I will care about how I influence the future of the Games?"

He turned and began to walk away, but then paused after a few steps.

"...The only influence that will be made, is the deepening hatred of this place by my home district."

* * *

Aelita lay still, fuming.

_Careless, irresponsible, inattentive... Untrustworthy._

_Way to slash my pride, bitch. You dragged my ass here to teach me how to fight to the death. If a few days make a difference between living and a horrible demise, there's no way I'll let you pry me from Odd's alliance, especially since he already vowed to keep me alive._

She sat in front of the window, which was cool to the touch when her fingertips, and then her face, pressed against the thick glass. Outside, the same view of the Capitol from the third floor of the training center greeted her eyes, only to be blocked out when her eyelids slid shut.

_The remaining few days have infinite possibilities for getting worse._

* * *

A distant tinkle of something fragile breaking on the floor forced her eyes open in the dark.

A commotion arose, and then a scream from one of the stylists filled the apartment, followed by several hurried footsteps, and then a jumble of shouts, obscenities, and words of disbelief as the light from the dining room was turned on.

_What the hell?_

Aelita sat silently, feeling perfectly obligated to stay put.

_Not about to be accused of whatever just took place down the hall..._

Her eyes wandered in an arc from the door back to the window, and she stared at the streets below, trying to picture what she heard seconds before as more footsteps and voices echoed down the hallway behind.


	8. Chapter 8

**Day four.**

With a breath, Aelita stirred and awakened. Turning her head, and cautiously opening her eyes, she suddenly realized she wasn't alone. Somebody was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting patiently.

Blinking repeatedly, she found herself staring apprehensively at a brunette man. Another person she had never seen before, in a dark, grey-teal suit, who then realized she was awake.

"Morning."

Her expression didn't waver, causing him to remove a pair of glasses, and sigh.

"We've got a lot to talk about."

Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Who are you?"

"Markell... But call me Mark."

Met with a blank expression, he continued.

"Your prior mentor just died last night. I'm replacing her from now on."

Aelita sat straight up.

"She's dead?"

"Yes."

Her mouth opened.

"People don't think I killed her... Do they?"

He met her worry with a laugh.

"Certainly not. She suffered a heart attack."

Aelita's eyes lowered momentarily.

"I don't think she liked me very much."

"Why's that?"

"I'm not really following the rules during training. And during supper last night, she yelled her head off at me for being around the boy from eight."

A subtle smile graced the light goatee on his face.

"About that... Tell me about this alliance of yours."

She huffed.

"Well... He approached me a few days ago, right when training started. He said that he wanted to be my ally, and said that he'd sacrifice himself to make sure I survive. The next day, I agreed, and from then on we've been training together."

Touching his hand to his chin, Mark gestured for her to continue.

"...Turns out he knows how to fight, and can paint camouflage. He's been teaching me both every day, and now I'm awfully glad he's on my side now. We're quite fond of each other, but everybody else seems to hate that I'm with him."

He reached over and set his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't... I think its brave of both of you. This kind of thing never really happens anymore, especially between districts like 3 and 8."

A smile blossomed on her face.

"You've definitely picked the right person to work with... But don't let your guard down, no matter how much you trust him."

She cautiously nodded, and he shook her shoulder for a moment.

"Anyway... I apologize for the short notice this morning, but I'm here to help you now."

His subtle nod piqued her curiosity, and she watched as he stood to his feet.

"One more thing... There's talk of rule changes going around with some of the things you two are doing. Be careful."

He walked out of the doorway, and glanced at her with quiet approval before disappearing around the corner.

Aelita, wide eyed, looked out of the window at the low sunshine sifting through shadows, and then burst out of bed.

_The coming days have infinite possibilities of getting better, too._

* * *

Footsteps away from the entrance into the training center, Aelita's arm was held, and she halted and turned around, facing Markell as he motioned for Lucent to continue on.

"Alright Aelita, training ends in three days, as I'm sure you're aware... You know how to defend and hide yourself, so from now on, make yourself lethal."

Aelita nodded.

"Try everything. Swords, spears, knives... Make sure your friend does too."

"I've never really used any of those..." She drawled.

"Practice makes perfect, right?"

"I suppose." She sighed, turning back around.

"Just imagine how people would react when the lovely young woman from 3 suddenly turns into a cunning, deadly nightmare in the arena."

A quiet little smirk appeared on her face, and she walked forward into the open air of the center. _Nothing like a change of pace to throw off the competition anyway._

* * *

For having never used a sword before, Aelita quickly began to enjoy the feeling of swinging blade around and slashing chunks out of fake enemies.

Fighting an assistant with batons, while less exciting, helped her learn how to defend herself and counter the moves of an opponent.

After a period of swordplay, she stepped off of the station, and suddenly found herself walking right past Odd.

"Hey you."

She paused, but he stepped up beside her, and nodded towards a less crowded spot.

After walking over quietly, they paused, and faced each other.

"First off, nice job with the swords."

Aelita smiled, and he crossed his arms.

"Anyway... A lot is about to change, I'm afraid."

"A lot already has. My mentor died last night and has been replaced. The new guy seems to like both of us too."

He eyed her, dumbfounded.

"What."

"The way he said something this morning... I dunno. I told him about you, and he likes that we've teamed up, and said this sort of thing never happens anymore."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"I wish my mentor could be replaced by someone like that... I got stared down yesterday at dinner after being told my behavior has started a massive rule change for next year's games."

A pensive expression appeared on her face.

"He mentioned something about that."

"Basically, everything we've been doing together won't be allowed next year. Tributes from the same district can team up, but they can't even practice with each other, much less with people from other districts."

Both of them rolled their eyes.

"I told you people are onto us, Odd. We've got my mentor on our side now, but that's about it."

After an apprehensive look at the gamemaker's balcony, the blonde shook his head and began walking towards the one of the stations, followed silently by Aelita a few seconds later.

"Maybe by this week's end, we'll have some sponsors on our side too."

* * *

_Knife, after knife, after knife._

Not quite used to the smaller size compared to a hatchet, Aelita often found herself throwing knives harder and faster than necessary. While they mostly found their marks in non-lethal spots, they had a tendency to be lodged pretty deeply into the targets, creating an ominous combination when the occasional good throw plunged a knife halfway into a target's head.

Boredom however, hit its peak after she chucked the last one through the air, and it ended up buried in a shoulder. She walked away, pausing briefly to watch as a tribute nearby threw a spear through the air with alarming precision.

Tomorrow, maybe. She had already thrown enough sharp objects in the last hour as it was.

* * *

_Animals._

_Some were edible. Maybe even tasty cooked on a fire._

_Others, if they didn't maul or poison you first, weren't really worth hunting anyway._

_Humans... Not even on the menu._

Aelita's lips pursed at the thought.

_Disgusting, and way too brutal, unless you went completely insane._

She set an information card aside, and picked up another about edible plants.

_On a lighter note, if you end up with a bowl during the games and aren't currently in a wasteland, a salad was apparently possible. Just don't use mushrooms, nightlock, or blood as fixings for it._

Unsure how to react to her own humor, she dropped the card onto the table, and quietly walked away, watching with mild curiosity as she passed a few of the tributes watching her.

"What's that smile all about?"

Her attention turned to the blonde as he paused from walking past.

"Thinking about horrible, funny things."

His mouth opened, only to shut.

"You know what... I won't even ask."

"I doubt you'd find any of it funny anyway."

His eyebrows furrowed, causing her smirk to increase.

"That's not true! I'm just not in the mood for horrible jokes right now."

She rolled her eyes, and he couldn't keep a grin from showing.

"...Then you continue on your merry way there, Odd."

"I suppose I just will... Aelita."

Tongues were stuck out at each other, and both of them walked away in opposite directions.

In a snap, their moods were lifted from the random encounter as day four of training drew to a slow close.

Even amongst the looming peril, humor could still be found in the strangest of ways.

* * *

Markell watched both of his tributes carefully during dinner.

"You two know what's going on in the next couple of days, I assume."

Met with a confused look from the boy, and Aelita's look of uninformed curiosity, the answer was a definite negative.

"Right... At the end of this week, the gamemakers bring in tributes one by one in a private assessment. You show them something you excel at, and depending on how well you do, you get score from one to twelve... Twelve being the highest possible."

Aelita propped her head upon her arm.

"Has anybody ever gotten a twelve?"

"Not that I know of... You'd have to be pretty impressive to even get an eleven."

Her eyes wandered across the table.

"What happens after the assessment?"

"They spend a few hours haggling over the scores for all twenty four tributes, and then they're

all announced on television."

"What do we do in the meantime?"

"Keep training until the last day... Then you're all in for an interview with Caeser."

He set his fork down, and leaned forward.

"There's one thing I can't stress enough with the gamemakers and the interview though. You have to make both count."

Both tributes were stone silent as he paused.

"If you can impress the big wigs in charge, and then the whole nation of Panem, you'll be way

ahead of a lot of your competition."

"...As long as you get people to like you." Aelita whispered.

Markell smiled, giving Aelita another very subtle nod.

"That shouldn't be too hard for either of you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Day five.**

Odd greeted Aelita's appearance at the camouflage station with his usual smile.

"Mornnning."

"...Happy Hunger Games."

She eyed him briefly, before cheekily stealing the paintbrush right out of his hand.

"May the odds, be ever in Odd's favor."

He looked at her as she began to apply light blue paint onto his forearm.

"I think the odds ought to be in your favor this time around... Why are you painting the sky on me?"

"Because, Odd, I've never painted it before... And the open sky is something I've started to miss."

He looked down at the blue rectangle on his arm thoughtfully, and then picked up another paintbrush.

"Needs a cloud or two..."

* * *

Several minutes later, a small mural of an open prairie appeared on his arm, and both of them quietly inspected it.

A sad sigh escaped from Aelita, and Odd set his chin onto his free arm.

"Have you ever been to a place like this?"

"Yes... Several years ago."

"Me too... But you can't exactly pass through the border of 8 anymore."

"You can't do much of anything anymore." She spoke quietly.

Both teens sat, suffering from resurfacing memories.

Odd's eyes then flicked over to her face.

"You know Aelita, if we weren't here, caught up in all this, and if I somehow knew you before any of this ever happened... I'd find a place where we could wander around forever in a field of grass and never get caught."

A blush slowly increased in color across her cheekbones.

_Oh._

_...But, how would we not get caught? We don't even live in the same districts... Don't anymore, at least. Somebody would find us and we'd be executed for leaving a district. Might as well tell him that..._

"That... Would be wonderful."

She blinked at her own spoken words, and the blush instantly increased.

Odd genuinely grinned in response, only to settle back into a plain smile as she cautiously eyed him.

And then, not so cautiously.

A curious little trade of glances segued into a eye opening stare, lasting longer than it should have.

The lock shattered, and their eyes darted away.

_Ohhh..._

Her face reddened.

_Oh my._

_Was that what I think it was?_

She secretly eyed him as he looked mournfully in the distance.

_Odd..._

A sigh left her lungs sadly.

_You know this is... Well, I should know too..._

Her mouth opened as her heart beat hard.

_Oh my god. Of all the times and places for this..._

Her eyes rose up to the ceiling above.

_We should know better. But we're young and stupid. And the more I'm around him, the cuter he becomes._

Stealing a look, her eyes widened as he noticed her.

_Yes Odd, I think I like you too._

Her head turned away bashfully.

_Dammit. Look at me._

_I'm ruined. And everything will only get tougher from here._

She closed her eyes.

_You chose this path, Aelita. Now you and your silly romancing emotions are going to walk it._

_We're dead anyway, right?_

_Right._

_So there's nothing wrong with nurturing your desires before you go._

_Right...?_

She shook her head.

_This is so god damn wrong._

_But something about it feels too good to waste._

* * *

Some time later, Odd and Aelita sat together quietly, nursing what was possibly their greatest undoing as the day drifted by.

Her eyes flicked open when the shrill screech of a whistle pierced the air.

Sitting upright from leaning on each other, they traded a worried look, and then stood to their feet. Aelita then clutched his forearm, right on the rectangle of paint.

"We can't do this again... Just sitting here."

He quickly nodded, but was then hugged, and he squeezed her tightly in return. She then pressed her forehead into his neck, breathing a heavy sigh.

"I know why we did today... But we can't waste any more time."

After separating, Odd touched her fingers with his own, letting them slip out of his grasp as he backed away.

"I'll see you tomorrow... Okay?"

The lump in her throat kept any words from escaping, so she nodded instead, watching him walk away.

_Okay._

* * *

**T.C.A., Floor three.**

Markell breathed a sigh, his eyebrows furrowed in thought as Aelita sat in the comfort of another hug.

"You do realize, no matter what happens, that this won't end well."

A momentary movement, was the only response.

"But on the same token, if you two really feel this way... Loyalty might just keep you alive."

He moved his arm, and lifted her head up by her chin.

"No matter what happens in the arena, don't betray that boy... He's sworn to keep you alive, and now that he knows you care about him too, he'll try a hell of a lot harder to keep that promise."

After another quick hug, Mark stood to his feet.

"I've got to go to a meeting now, but we'll talk about the assessment and all later tonight."

In a flash, he disappeared out of the room, and Aelita sat on her bed, deflated. Settling down on her side, she curled up her legs, and held them tight within her arms, staring out of the window at the same third story view, of the same setting sun.

A few hours before, she and the blonde stared at each other, and without a word spoken, it became clear they shared more than just an alliance. Despite every measure put in place, despite every bit of skepticism... Despite everything possible, the young, selfless blonde boy from District 8, wanting simply to keep her alive, had worked his way into her heart.

_In the worst place, at the worst possible time._

Emotion she kept locked tight for so long, finally broke free, and tears silently drifted down her face as the evening faded into darkness.

* * *

**Day six, 1:37a.m.**

Odd lay in bed restless, the sheets in a twisted mess around his legs, the room lit softly by the moonlight. His mentor's unpleasant words ceased to affect him anymore. Instead, his mind churned, and his heart ached as he thought about Aelita.

Every action, every word she said, every little moment they shared... From painting to punching, throwing hatchets to throwing knives, their familiarity grew closer, and then, too close. What started as an effort to keep the beautiful redhead girl alive though his own sacrifice, turned into a slowly unfolding tragedy.

He swallowed. Certain death was only days away, and yet, part of him decided he should do the worst thing possible at the worst time. He began to fall for Aelita. Finding then, that she slowly was falling for him too.

A hard sigh escaped his lungs, and he moved his legs.

_No matter who wins, the Games are destined to end sadly. There's only ever one winner... And it certainly won't be me._

* * *

**END OF PART 1...**


End file.
